1
as in magic
the art or skill of performing tricks or illusions for entertainment
the illusionist's show is an entertaining blend of legerdemain and over-the-top showmanship
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in deception
the use of clever underhanded actions to achieve an end
the reduction of the deficit is due in part to financial legerdemain that masks the true costs of running the government
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of legerdemain
No matter how Congress formally scores the price of extending the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, as well as other Trump initiatives, accounting legerdemain can’t make fiscal reality disappear.
—
Howard Gleckman, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
This legerdemain enabled Bragg to circumvent the two-year misdemeanor statute of limitations — in other words, the time to charge this stale case, which is based on seven-year-old bookkeeping entries, lapsed in 2019.
—The Editors, National Review, 29 May 2024
Serious people should know what an older version of antisemitic denialism was all about: a steady stream of factual nitpicks, logical inversions and rhetorical legerdemain meant to obfuscate and deny the greatest crime in history.
—Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024
Any such legislative legerdemain would be an unwarranted assault to circumvent the caps.
—State Senator Stephen Harding, Hartford Courant, 26 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for legerdemain
Howard Gleckman, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
This legerdemain enabled Bragg to circumvent the two-year misdemeanor statute of limitations — in other words, the time to charge this stale case, which is based on seven-year-old bookkeeping entries, lapsed in 2019.
—The Editors, National Review, 29 May 2024
Serious people should know what an older version of antisemitic denialism was all about: a steady stream of factual nitpicks, logical inversions and rhetorical legerdemain meant to obfuscate and deny the greatest crime in history.
—Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024
Any such legislative legerdemain would be an unwarranted assault to circumvent the caps.
—State Senator Stephen Harding, Hartford Courant, 26 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for legerdemain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legerdemain
Noun
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Can Indiana repeat the magic from 2024?—
Dylan Reffe,
The Courier-Journal,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Up-close photos of jazz legends, tableside magic and revisiting the 1990s with an all-ages celebration.—
Liz Rothaus Bertrand,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Interestingly, men, not women, were more open to benevolent deception.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
-
The movie, with Baranov as its scoundrel tour guide, works its way through some of 21st century Russia’s greatest hits of deception.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
31 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Admissions of fraud by the Fox sisters, numerous exposures of trickery and growing secularism meant that interest in communicating with ghosts was rapidly dwindling.—
Alice Vernon
September 8,
Literary Hub,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The rooms are packed with high-tech trickery which creates alien-like landscapes.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Maybe Payton’s running the best preseason subterfuge campaign ever to make Estime look bad on film.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
17 Aug. 2025
-
On the other side of this triangle, Conrad has his own Belly-management system, which relies heavily on subterfuge and mostly comes down to attempts to feed her.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
When does compromise become treachery or defeat?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Could Juno be behind this treachery, as payback for David destroying her spy corporation and for changing his oldest daughter into a killer?—
Demetrius Patterson,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Those concerns were laid bare in the discovery process for the defamation case that Dominion Voting Systems took against Fox over false suggestions of fraud and other chicanery aired by guests on the network.—
Niall Stanage,
The Hill,
19 July 2025
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Despite the chicanery, this is a solid deal for a phone that isn’t wildly different from the Pixel 9.—
Janhoi McGregor,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
Noun
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Of course, the retort is that this would be irritating and exasperating to be continually deluged with alerts about AI deceptiveness.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The American people are seeking solace and inspiration from its leaders, not pettiness and skullduggery.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Aug. 2025
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The Poetry Society becomes the Autobiographical Association, whose ridiculous members write their memoirs under the supervision of the director, a snooty character clearly conniving to use their confessions for some sort of skulduggery.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
10 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Legerdemain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legerdemain. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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